Tubing head



Dec. 28, 1937.,

G. B. KITCHEL. Er AL TUBING HEAD Filed Jan. 24, 1936 a 2/ Ni 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 www@ G. B. KITCHEL. ET Al. 2,103,586

Dec. 28,` 1937.

- TUBING HEAD Filed Jan. 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 3mm 5. E, Affvfm-Jr E. J. Fbacr @5%m Ww ,litt

TREN@ HEAD George Mitchel, Houston,

and Edmund ii'.

Roach, Beaumont, '.lieu., assignors to Beaumont iron Won-lss Company,

poration oi 'iienas Beaumont, Ten., a. coritpplication .llanuary 2i, i936, Seriali No. 60,682

y 5 maints.

This invention relates generally to oil well equipment, and more particularly to a tube support or control head for sustaining tubing in any desired position in wells.

The primary object oi the invention is to provide a. tubing head which will allow operators of an oil well to support the tubing and seal oif the head while the well is under pressure, and to allow adjustment or spacing of the tubing while so sealed om Other objects of the invention will appear as the detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawingsz- Figure i is a central vertical section of the tubing h secured to a surface casing, and with the tubing hanger omitted and hanger locking mechanism in inoperative position.

Figure 2 is a central ,vertical section through the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1, but with the no hanger and tubing supported thereby, inserted in the head.

Figure 3 is a central vertical section ofthe mechanism-illustrated in Figs. l and 2, showing the tubing in i'lnal locked position in the hanger.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line t-i of Fig. 3; and 1 Figure 5 is av perspective of one of a series of adjustable T-bolts used to lock the tubing hanger in seated position in the tubing head.

.As shown in the drawings, 'the tubing head comprises an upper tubular section I and a lower tubular section 2, the latter being internally screwlthreaded at its lower end to engage the exter-A nally screwthreaded upper end of the surface casing 3. The upper part of the bore in section 2 is shaped to form a truste-conical seat t, adapted to receive the correspondingly shaped lower end of a. tubular hanger 5, shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The upper end of thelower section 2 is pro- 40 vided with an outwardly extending flange @6, having a series of apertures 'I extendingltherethrough to receive the shanks ofmachine screws 8. 'I'he base 9 of the'upper section I is provided with a series of tapped recesses I0 receiving the threaded 45 ends 4kof the screws. 8 to secure the two sections iirmly to each other. As shown clearly in the drawings, the bore of the upper section I has the same diameter as the widest diameter of the tapered seat 4 in the lower section.

' The upper end of section I has a ange I I1 extending'outwardly therefrom and provided ,with a series of apertures I2 to receive the shanks of bolts I3. In the preliminary stages of drilling operation, the bolts I3 are used to clamp the 55 ange I4 of an adapter I5 securely to the flange ll of the upper section i. AThe adapter it is shown as internally screwthreaded to receive the screwthreaded end of a connector I6, for blow-out preventer equipment well known in this art and therefore not shown herein. In each case, the op posed faces of adjacent members are provided with annular formed metal gasket or tongues to eiect proper sealing of the joints.

'Ihe hanger has its lower portion I 'I shaped to t thevfrusto-conical seat t; and has its upper portion I shaped as a cylinder to it the bore of the section l, the two portions intersecting at the joint between the head sections l and 2. The lower portion I'i is provided with suitable packing rings |29 to ensure a proper seal. The top edge 2t of the hanger is substantially flush with the top of section I, when the hanger 5 is fully supported by the seat t; and is provided with a V- shaped annular groove 2l to receive asealing ring 22 when the blow-out preventer adapter is removed and inner string 23 is locked in itsiinal position. A bonnet 2t, with an inverted V-groove 25 to seat on the ring 22, has an outwardly extending ange 26 apertured to receive the bolts I3 when the blow-out preventer adapter is removed.

The bore of the hanger 5 `between the shoulders 2i and 28 in the vicinity of the tapered end Ii,

is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the tube 23 to be supported. Above the shoulder 2l, the bore of the hanger is enlarged to receive the tube packing 29; and, above the packing space, is screwthreaded to receive the externally screwthreaded portion 3U of a combined slip bowl `and packing sleeve 3I.

The slip bowl 3i, above the portion 30, is tapered to receive the tapered pipe-supporting seg,- ments 32. The top of the slip bowl is extended above the top of the hanger 5 to facilitate rotation of the slip bowl for the releasing the packing 29, capstan holes 33 being formed in the extension St for this purpose.

In order to force the hanger 5 into sealing engagement with the seat t, the hanger, between the ends of its cylindrical portion, is provided with a V-shaped'groove 34 adapted to receive the V-shaped segmental T-heads 35 of screwthreaded locking bolts 36 mounted -for radial adjustment in the upper section I of the tubing head. Four of these locking bolts are shown in the drawings, Aalthough it is obvious that any desired number may be used. Since all four are alike in construction, only one will be described in `detail herein.

The segmental head 35 is slidabl;1 mounted in grooves adapted to receive suitably provided in its lower edge to.` purpose of compressing or show the position of cated that the lower 52, having pins 53 of liquid therefrom.

Valves or other y ing inserted between a transverse slot 31 formed in a bushing 38 which is secured with tight fit in a radial bore 39 formed in the upper section I. to receive the flange 40 of said bushing, and form a shoulder 4iA to limit the inward movement of the bushing 38. A key 42 seated in registering recesses in the flange 40 and shoulder 4| prevents rotation of the bushing and positions the T-head 36 ior'properv movement into and out of the groove 34 in the hanger. l

A washer 43 surrounds the screwthreaded shank 44 of the bolt 36 and forms a wear plate between the outer face of the bushing 38 and the flanged head 45 of an adjusting nut 46 screwthreaded on to the shank 44. justing nut 46 is squared to receive a wrench or other tool for rotating said nut on its bolt 36.

'Ihe bore of nut 46 is reduced at its outer end to receive a rod 41 extending axiallyfrom the shank 44, the said rod serving as an indicator to the `T-shaped head 35 with respect to the bore of the upper section I, or the hanger 5. The reduced bore of nut 46 forms a chamber in which packing 48 is arranged to prevent leakage along the rod 41.

An externally screwthreaded sleeve 49 is threaded into the boss counter-bored at itsinner end to receive the head 45 of the nut-46, and also to permit the inner end of the sleeve to engage the washer 43 and thereby clamp the bushing 3B in place 'in section l. The bore at the outer end of sleeve49 is also enlarged and internally screwthreaded to form a packing chamber and receive the gland nut 6I. The groove 34 bevelled walls of the bolt heads 36 first engage the lower bevelled wall of groove 34, and, by inward adjustment, force and hold the hanger 5 irmly on its seat 4.

'The bore of the hanger 5 below the shoulder 2B is enlargedto receive'a tube supporting tting therefrom. These pins 53 and 54 are designed to be received in bayonet joint slots 55 formed in a supporting device 56 detachably connected to the lower end of the hanger 5. The connection between the lower end of the hanger and this supporting device maybe effected by the well known J-tool, or they may be screwthreaded to each other, with the threads broken fora part of the circumference to permit'release of the device from the hangen i In the operationy of this tubing head, the lower section 2 is screwed onto the surface casing 3 after the latter. shall have been set in proper position. suitable conducting means are connected to the side outlets to control the now An adapter for blow-out prevention equipment is bolted to the top an'ge of the upper section l,j a tapered metal ring bethe said top flange and the adapter. Suitable blow-out preventerequipment lis then connected to the adapter ange. Any

` supporting means, is put drilling operation that is desired can then b e effected. When the tubing has been run to the desired depth, the hanger assembly consisting of the hanger, slip bowl, packing, inner tubing and on the last joint ,of tubing, and lowered until the hanger rests in the tapered seat of the body. The weight ofthe tubing is then supported by the supporting means in the lower /part of the hanger. The packing `in the hanger packs oil.' the area around the linner tubing to prevent flow of gas or oil and the The outer end of the ad-` 'I'he bore 361s enlarged nas . packing in the hanger rests against the tapered bowl in the body.

The adjusting nut 46 on each of the segmental bolts is rotated to move each of the bolts into the groove 34 of the hanger, and thereby force the hanger firmly down upon the tapered seat 4 in the lower section of the tube body. means that the hanger is packed off and held down. The blow-out equipment is then removed from the upper flange of the upper section l;

The tubing is then rotated until the lower supporting means is released and the tubing lowered to the desired position. When' the tubing is in the desired position the slip supporting means are put in place. Any portion of the inner tubing that may extend too high is cut of! and the bonnet is put in place and bolted down to the body with a metal ring placed between the bonnet and the hanger.

1. A tubing head having the lower end secured to a casing and having'an upwardly and outwardly flaring seat, a tubular hanger slidable in said head and having its lower of section i; and, is',

` ly flaring seat, a

and 54 projecting radlailyend flared to fit said seat, means at the lower end of the hanger' for detachabiy supporting an inner string of 'tubing in the hanger, and means in the upper part of the hanger for locking the said vinner string in any desired position in the hanger.

' 2. A tubing head having the lower end secured to' a casing and having an upwardly and outwardtubular hanger slidable in said its lower end ared to t said being counter-bored to receive packing for the inner string and having its inner surface upwardly and outwardly ared above the head and having 'packing counter-bore, a correspondingly flared slip bowl adjustable insaid hanger to compress said packing', and segmental wedges in said slip bowl to lock the inner string in adjusted position in the hanger. f v

3. A tubing head having the lower end secured to a casing and having an upwardly and outwardly flaring seat, a tubular hanger slidable in said head and having its lower end flared to fit Said seat, 4said hanger being counter-bored to receive packing for the inner string and having its inner surface upwardly and outwardly flared above the packing counter-bore, a correspondingly flared slip bowl adjustable in said hanger to compress said packing, segmental wedges in said slip bowl to lock the inner string in adjusted position in the hanger, and a bonnet clamped to the upper ends of said tubing head and hanger.

4. A tubing head having the lower end secured to a casing and having an upwardly and outwardly flaring seat, a tubular hanger slidable in said head and having its lower end iiared to t said seat, said hanger being counter-bored to re- Aceive packing for the inner string andhaving its inner surface upwarly and outwardly flared above the packing counter-bore, a correspondingly ared slip bowl adjustable in said hanger to compress said packing, segmental wedges in said slip bowl to lock the inner string in adjusted position in the hanger, a bonnet clamped to the upper end of said tubing head, said bonnet projecting inwardly over the top edge of said hanger, and sealing means clamped between the bonnet' and the top edge of the hanger.

5. A tubing head having the lower end secured to a casing and having an upwardly and outwardly ilaring seat, a tubular hanger slidable in said head and having its lower end ared to fit diodos@ seid seat, said hanger being counter-loored izo iceoeive packing'for the inner string and having its inner surface upwardly and outwardly dared above the packing counter-bore, a. correspondingly flared slip bowl adjustable in said hanger to l compresssaid packing, segmental wedges in said slip bowl to lock the inner string in adjusted position in the hanger, a bonnet clamped to the upper end of sold tubing head, said bonnet projeoting inwardly over the top edge ofsaid hanger, the projecting portion of said bonnet and the upperedge of said hanger being provided with annular grooves, and a, sealing ring clamped in 5 sold grooves between the bonnet and hanger.

. GEORGE B. KITCI-mL.

ED "nl J. ROACH. 

